Improved powder for lighting cigars



breathing at it.

into contact with it to become red-hot.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED POWDER FOR. LIGHTING CIGARS, 84c.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WM. Rons- LING, of the city of Cleveland,county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and ImprovedPowder for Lighting Tobacco and Cigars, for the use of smokersparticularly adapted; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact'description thereof, reference being had'to theaccompanying ingredients, the mode of preparing the powder beingdescribed below.

The nature of my invention consistsin mixing certain parts potash,burned alum, charcoal, and rye-flour together, which, after having beenin the fire, will ignite by simply It has been known in chemistry formore than a hundred years that certain substances mixed-together andprepared in a proper way will ignite when exposed to the atmosphere;

but theywere generally injurious substances,

such asphosphorus and quicksilver, also, some of the ingredients which Iuse for preparing my powder have been known; but they were totallyuseless, for the reason that the powder would ignite instantaneouslywhen brought the atmosphere. I have, however, added certain ingredientsand mixed them in proportions which will allow the powder, whenprepared, to be acertain time exposed to the atmosphere withoutigniting; but when gently breathed upon it willignite; hence theusefulness of it. Besides, the ingredients which I use are perfectlyharmless.

My powder consists stances: potash, forty parts; burned alum, thirtyparts; powdered charcoal, twenty parts; rye-flouF, ten parts; total, onehundred parts, After these ingredients in the given quantities areperfectly fine powdered and thoroughly dried they must be well mixedtogether. I This substance is then put intoan iron cylinder, which mustbe hermetically sealed. The mixture should be filled into said cylinderwithout pressing it, and without having an empty space in it. After allthis is done the cylinder is to be placed into the fire, allowing Inthis state it is to be kept in the fire for forty minutes. This timehaving elapsed, the cylinder is to be removed from the fire and put on aplace where it will slowly cool off. After sixhours the cylinder of thefollowing sub-' 47,335, dated April 18, 1865.

can be opened at screw-bolt; but put immediately a cork in the mouth ofit,which has ahole'through the middle, through which a strong wire canpass. WVith this wire the substance inside of the cylinder, which hasformed into a crust, must be thoroughly stamped, so as to powder it. 1After this is done the powder must be filled, by means of a funnel, intobottles or tin cases, which can be closed with a cork or screw. Thebottles or cases must be perfectly dry before being filled. This beingdone, is ready for use. The proper proportions of the ingredients, andthe adding of the rye-flour in particular, prevent the aluminium andcarbonas ealiuin to draw the oxygen contained in atmosphere immediately;hence the ignition of the powder only after breathing at it. Should agreater quantity of rye-flour be added than above given, the powderwould light only slowly,and if added too much it would not light at all.

The advantages which this powder offers to smokers are very great. Hecan light his pipe or cigars by simply putting a little of the powder onhis pipe, then to breath on it, and the tobacco will burn. The smokercan use it in any kind of weather, no matter whether windy or rainy, andwhen the use of matches are of no avail a farmer, any one being in theopen air can light his pipe or cigar with this powder when he. cannotuse matches, they having become damp from some cause, or it being toowindy. Another great advantage is the cheapness of the powder overcareful calculations and trials having decided the fact that five poundsof this powder, when ready for use, will not cost more than two dollarsand fifty cents, and five pounds of powder will last an incredible longtime. I propose to fill small tubes,which are handyto carry in thepocket, like ordinary pocket match-safes, for the use of the public.What I claim, and desire to secure ters Patent of the United States, is-

The composition prepared substantially as set forth, for the purposespecified. CHARLES WILLIAM ROESLING- WVitnesses: e A. KOEBLER,

SAMUEL LANE.

by Let one end by removing the the powder laborer, miner, or

the present price of matches, I

